Rob Andrews

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. The gentleman from Vermont makes an outstanding point about the veterans issue, and Mr. Sanders and I have our differences on defense policy and our voting records will reflect that, but let me chime in to support a point he just made and going back to the point I made about the choices that we are not going to be given a chance to make. This bill cuts $200 million out of this year's expenditures for the veterans' hospital system across the country and it forgives a $50 million loan to the Government of Jordan. I am going to repeat that. This bill says to the Government of Jordan, You do not have to pay us the $50 million you owe us. We forgive you. Then it says to the veterans across this country, Oh, by the way, we are taking $200 million, four times that amount, out of your VA hospital system. Now, some of us would like to offer an amendment that would at least reduce that cut of the $200 million by not forgiving the $50 million loan to Jordan. A lot of us would like to be able to say maybe the Jordanians should find the $50 million and pay us back. I find it ironic that in the Persian Gulf war, which was the first vote that Mr. Sanders and I cast as Members of this House, at the time of that war the Jordanians chose to remain neutral. They chose not to take the side of the United States for their own reasons. The men and women who served in our Armed Forces did not choose to remain neutral. They swore allegiance to our country and served us. We are taking money away from them, who put their lives on the line, and then we are forgiving a loan to the Government of Jordan.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ANDREWS. I join in thanking my friend from California. We are all equal Members of the People's House. We may disagree over what our priorities shall be, but we should never disagree over our right to debate those priorities. The majority is about to deny us that right unless we defeat the rule that comes before us on Tuesday night.

Mr. ANDREWS. I would assume King Hussein will not be receiving home heating assistance this winter. I yield to the gentleman from California [Mr. Becerra].

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, due to a death in my family, I missed a series of votes on Thursday, February 23, Friday, February 24, and Monday, February 27. If I had been present I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. Vote 159..................................................................no 160.................................................................yes 161.................................................................yes 162.................................................................yes 163.................................................................yes 164.................................................................yes 165.................................................................yes 166.................................................................yes 167.................................................................yes 168.................................................................yes 169.................................................................yes 170..................................................................no 171.................................................................yes 172.................................................................yes 173.................................................................yes 174..................................................................no 175..................................................................no I would appreciate it if these positions could be reflected in the record.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with you a unique program that will encourage the youth of my district to give something back to their community. I am proud to introduce the Cherry Hill Community Service and Involvement Program. Designed exclusively by students, this program is about helping people. Students will go into the community and work 53 hours of service with various organizations earning 2.5 credits, the equivalent of a semester elective. They will also participate in 12 hours of public policy forums. The program is designed to teach students the skills needed to participate in their community. It also introduces the students to the world of public policy so that they may make informed decisions as a member of the community. The uniqueness of the program lies within its structure. It is the first service program in New Jersey that was written, researched and implemented by the students at Cherry Hill West High School. This allows the students to have a say in public policy, participate in and take responsibility for their community as they emerge into adulthood. The goal is to make young people productive and active in their community as adults. I congratulate the students of Cherry Hill West High School on their courage and dedication to embark on such an endeavor. I know that the talents of the students will come through and benefit the entire Camden County area. I encourage other members of this body to endorse similar programs in their districts.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, here is why the Harman-Menendez amendment makes sense. When we go back to our districts this afternoon, if we stood in line at the supermarket this weekend, and we had to say to the person next to us ``I am going to take $20 out of your pocket to pay for this program,'' could we look them in the eye and tell them they were getting their $20 worth for this program? What would we tell them when they said, ``Congressman, there were 14 other of these commissions that were supposed to do something like the same thing.'' What would we tell them when they say, ``Congressman, do you not have committees already set up in the House and Senate supposed to do the same thing?'' I do not have a good answer to that, and I think neither do you. Let me just say this to my friends from the other side: Part of your Contract With America is to shed lockstep allegiance to partisan leadership and to do the right thing. The right thing is to vote for Harman-Menendez.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Barton amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my continued disappointment and frustration with the Government of Saudi Arabia and its ongoing unfair treatment of the American company Gibbs & Hill, Inc. [GHI]. In the late 1970's and 1980's GHI was decimated by financial losses incurred on the design of a desalination project in Saudi Arabia contractual obligations. In an effort to bring about a fair and expeditious settlement for GHI and other American companies with claims against Saudi Arabia, Congress established a special claims process following hearings before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. GHI is the last remaining company whose claim has not been paid by the Saudi Arabian Government under this process. For more than a year, a bipartisan coalition in both the House and Senate, as well as the administration, have worked to fairly resolve the GHI claim. At several points during this process, Saudi Ambassador Bandar and other high-ranking Saudi officials made commitments to Congress and the administration that the GHI claim would be resolved in a fair and expeditious manner and that no effort would be spared in resolving the GHI claim. During this time, Congress and the administration have been lead to believe that the Saudi Government was committed to working toward a fair settlement of the GHI claim. As recent as 3 months ago, Ambassador Bandar meet with, and gave assurances to, Senator Frank Lautenberg and GHI's chairman that a shared commitment existed to achieve a prompt and fair resolution of the claim. This was followed by explicit commitments from high-level Saudi officials in both Washington and Riyadh that this claim would be paid. Unfortunately, in a recent communication to GHI, the Saudi Embassy contradicts these explicit commitments. I am dismayed by the delaying tactics of the Saudi Embassy. It is my belief that what should have been an open and closed issue is beginning to grow into a significant strain on United States-Saudi relations. The Saudi Government's disregard for this American company that has provided services to the kingdom is unacceptable. The time is now for the Saudi Government to live up to its commitments to me, my colleagues, the administration, and GHI. My colleagues and I require a full and prompt payment of this claim to successfully conclude this important claim issue.